Permian's new football coach to be announced today

Published 3:45 pm, Thursday, January 10, 2013

ODESSA -- Ector County ISD is set to announce Odessa Permian's new head football coach at noon today, but the field shrunk from three to two on the eve of the announcement.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported Thursday evening that current Gregory-Portland head football coach and athletic director Matt Anastasio has pulled his name from consideration at Permian. Anastasio, who was a Permian assistant from 2005-08, was one of three candidates -- along with Todd Willman and Blake Feldt -- named as finalists by ECISD earlier this week.

All three candidates were interviewed by ECISD athletic director Todd Vesely this week. Anastasio told the Caller-Times he made his decision to stay at Gregory-Portland in the midst of his eight-hour drive back from Odessa.

That leaves Willman and Feldt as the two remaining candidates for the job. Willman is currently the associate head coach and offensive line coach at Austin Westlake under former Permian head coach Darren Allman. Willman was also an assistant under Allman while he was at Permian.

Feldt is a 1979 graduate of Midland High, and has been the head coach at Hays Consolidated the last two seasons. He also had coaching stints at Breckenridge and Pilot Point.

Some Internet rumors surfaced naming Feldt as Permian's next head coach Thursday evening, but Vesely neither verified nor denied the validity of such reports.

Today's announcement will be made at the ECISD administration building.